A hammer toe or contracted toe is a deformity of the proximal inter-phalangeal joint of the second, third, or fourth toe causing it to be permanently bent and giving it a semblance of a hammer. Initially, the hammer toes are flexible and may be corrected with simple measures but, if left untreated, they get fixed and require surgical intervention for correcting them. People with hammer toe can have corns or calluses on the top of the middle joint of the toe or on the tip of the toe. They can also feel pain in their toes or feet and have difficulty in finding comfortable shoes. A claw toe is a typically a deformity of the metatarsal phalangeal joint of the second, third, fourth, or fifth toe causing unopposed flexion of the proximal inter-phalangeal joint and distal inter-phalangeal joint in the respective toe and giving it a semblance of a claw.
Various treatment strategies are available for correcting hammer toes and claw toes. First line treatment of hammer toes starts with new shoes that have soft and spacious toe boxes. Some toe exercises may also be prescribed, to stretch and strengthen the muscles. For example, gently stretching the toes manually, using the toes to pick up things off the floor etc. Another line of treatment includes using straps, cushions or non-medicated corn pads to relieve symptoms. Further, a hammer toe or claw toe can be corrected by a surgery if the other treatment options fail. Surgery can involve inserting screws, wires etc. or other similar implants in toes to straighten them.
Traditional surgical methods include use of k-wires. But of late, due to various disadvantages of using K-wires, compression screws are being used as an implant. K-wires require pings protruding through end of toes because they are temporarily inserted. Because of this, k-wires lead to pin tract infections, loss of fixation etc. Other disadvantages of k-wires include migration of k-wires and breakage, and may therefore require multiple surgeries.
Accordingly, there remains a need for developing improved toe bone implants and methods of correcting toe bone deformities.